News

Grants scandal: Council rejected offer of repayment

Published

10 years ago

May 3, 2016

Tom Sinclair

Cllr Mike Stoddart: Tax payer money, we have a right to know

IN AN effort to clear up the mystery of repayment of grant monies for schemes in Pembroke Dock, Hakin councillor Mike Stoddart has put down a notice of motion for the next meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC).

According to C llr Stoddart, in early 2014 developer Cathal McCosker offered to pay back the whole of the £180,000 in grants he had received for four projects (10 Meyrick Street and Nos 25, 27 and 29 Dimond Street) in Pembroke Dock.

The offer came after the council demanded that he should produce bank statements as proof of payment to the builder, as required by the grant agreement,

Cllr Stoddart claims that, during a meeting with officers from the Wales European Funding Office (WEFO) in the summer of 2014, he was told that, rather than produce the bank statements, Mr McCosker said he would repay all the monies received for the four properties with the Meyrick Street grant being paid back immediately and the rest within 12 months.

In the meantime, because of irregularities in the grant payments discovered by Cllr Stoddart, the council had to return the £180,000 to WEFO, so, until such time as the money is recovered from Mr McCosker, it isn’t available to support regeneration projects in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.

That prompted him to put down a motion to the council meeting in December 2014 calling for all correspondence on the subject of grant repayments to be made available to elected members. That was not adopted, but council agreed on a recorded vote that members of the audit committee should have access to the documents on a confidential basis.

“It seems that the issue has disappeared into the long grass because nothing has been heard since” Mike Stoddart told the Herald.

During PCC’s public audit inspection in July 2015, the Hakin councillor discovered that an invoice had been raised against Mr McCosker for £189,000 – the amount of grant to be repaid.

However, there was no record of any repayments being made.

When he made enquiries with the council’s finance department he was told “Payments are being made and monitored but at the current level they will take years to recover”

Mike Stoddart has made a series of emails available to the Herald which paint a very confused picture.

On 31 March 2016 was told: “Mr McCosker is repaying the debt and the payments are going to an account in his personal name”

This email also contained an extract from a statement the council had made to the police: “A letter was received by PCC from Mr McCosker offering to repay the £189,000, this was dismissed.”

Clearly, the claim that the repayment offer had been “dismissed” was not consistent with the statement in the same email that “Mr McCosker is repaying the debt”

When Cllr Stoddart sought clarification he was told: “to date £18,000 has been collected towards the debt.”

So, two years after Mr McCosker offered to pay back the whole of the £180,000 within twelve months, only 10% has been collected and, for some as yet unexplained reason, that has been paid into an account in Mr McCosker’s personal name.

Mike Stoddart told the Herald: “This is taxpayers’ money and people have the right to know what is going on. When my notice of motion comes before the council I will be calling for a recorded vote so that the electorate can see who is for openness and transparency and who isn’t”

Crime

Man sent to Crown Court over alleged Cardigan cocaine and cannabis supply

Published

9 minutes ago

July 3, 2026

Court Reporter

A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been sent to Crown Court to face a series of alleged drug supply offences in Cardigan.

Harrison Casey, of Harebell Way, Brownsover, Rugby, appeared before Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Jul 2).

He faces six charges relating to alleged offences at Bridge Street, Cardigan, between April 7 and April 24, 2023.

The charges include being concerned in the supply of cocaine, a Class A drug, and being concerned in the supply of cannabis, a Class B drug.

Casey is also accused of possessing cannabis with intent to supply, possessing tetrahydrocannabinol with intent to supply, being concerned in an offer to supply THC edibles, and possessing flualpazolam, a Class C drug.

There were no pleas to the charges at this stage.

Magistrates sent the case to Swansea Crown Court for trial under Section 51 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Casey was granted unconditional bail and is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on August 3 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Climate

Floating wind demonstration project off Pembrokeshire coast granted marine licence

Published

58 minutes ago

July 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

The Llŷr project could see up to ten floating turbines installed 35km off the coast, with power brought ashore at Freshwater West

A MARINE licence has been granted for a floating offshore wind demonstration project off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Natural Resources Wales has approved the licence for Llŷr Floating Wind Limited, allowing the Llŷr Floating Offshore Wind Farm Project to move forward.

The test and demonstration facility is proposed around 35km off the Pembrokeshire coast, off Linney Head, and is among the first demonstration-scale floating wind projects in Wales.

The scheme could include up to ten turbines, each reaching up to 300 metres above sea level, together with floating platforms, mooring lines and anchors.

Up to two offshore export cables, around 50km in length, are planned to bring electricity ashore at Freshwater West.

Ruth Jenkins, Head of Planning and Permitting Services and Marine Operations at Natural Resources Wales, said the organisation had a role to play in supporting the move towards clean energy while ensuring projects were developed responsibly.

She said: “At Natural Resources Wales, we have a unique opportunity to tackle the climate emergency across a range of sectors and industries. This includes using our licensing powers to support Wales’s transition to clean energy.

“As a regulator and advisor, we ensure energy projects are developed sustainably and with respect for the environment and local communities. At the same time, we play a vital role in enabling innovation in green energy, helping projects move forward safely and responsibly.

“Wales has enormous potential as a leader in renewable energy, and we’re committed to supporting the benefits that can come from these projects as we move towards net-zero targets.”

Natural Resources Wales is the Marine Licensing Authority on behalf of Welsh Ministers.

Full details of the marine licence granted for the Llŷr Floating Offshore Wind Farm Project are available on the NRW public register.

News

Free Pembrokeshire woodland event to explore language, landscape and belonging

Published

11 hours ago

July 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A FREE woodland event in north Pembrokeshire will invite people to reconnect with the Welsh language, local landscape and cultural traditions through storytelling, creativity and time spent in nature.

Dod yn ôl at fy nghoed / To Return to My Trees will take place on Friday, July 17, from 10am to 4pm, at Canolfan Llwynihirion and Allt Tŷ Canol, near Brynberian.

The event is being hosted by Cwm Arian as part of the Preseli Woodlands Project and will be led by Welsh Druid, author and celebrant Deborah Rose Hālani.

Participants will spend time in the ancient woodland of Allt Tŷ Canol, exploring how Welsh language, landscape, folklore and local traditions have shaped one another over generations.

Organisers say the day is open to everyone, including those reconnecting with their own heritage, people learning about Welsh culture for the first time, or anyone who wants to build a deeper connection with the place they call home.

Sophie Jenkins, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at Cwm Arian Renewable Energy, said: “Conservation isn’t only about protecting species and habitats. It’s also about nurturing our relationship with the places we live.

“The Welsh language, our stories and our landscapes have evolved together over centuries, yet many people feel disconnected from one or all of those things.

“Whether someone is rediscovering a part of their own heritage or beginning a relationship with Cymru for the first time, we hope this day creates space to connect more deeply with the land, with culture and with community.”

The Preseli Woodlands Project brings together nature restoration and cultural heritage through activities designed to help people experience, understand and care for Pembrokeshire’s woodland heritage.

The project is a partnership between Cwm Arian Renewable Energy, the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

It is funded through the Welsh Government’s National Forest for Wales Landscape Scheme 2025–2027 and administered by WCVA.

The event is free, but places are limited and advance booking is essential.